DAVID PUTTNAM, PATRON

Film festivals matter. They are places of discovery: where audiences encounter stories they might otherwise never have come across, a place where new voices can find the encouragement and support, they need to flourish. Most importantly, they allow us to continue to be surprised.

That seems particularly important at a moment when technology, and especially AI, is changing our world and the industry so rapidly. I’ve lived through extraordinary technological change in my career, and seen how useful these tools can be, particularly in digital archiving. I encourage you to visit CIFF’s Digital Archive and lose yourself in its 71 years of treasures.

Regarding archiving; cinema was born in France and recently President Macron made an important speech, in which he said: “The screen can educate, connect and inspire. It can help preserve memory, give form to experience, and allow one society to enter the imagination of another. The need now is to build the conditions for a richer creative future; to preserve the possibility of creating ambitious work, ensure that it can circulate, give audiences the tools to navigate an age of infinite images, and make technological progress compatible with human creativity.”

As he suggests, technology should strengthen human creativity, not diminish or replace it. AI has no imagination and each of us has creative muscles to flex.

Cork International Film Festival remains a vital space for that imagination: bringing filmmakers and audiences together to discover, discuss and celebrate the unexpected. Long may that process flourish.

CLLR. DAMIAN BOYLAN, ARD MHÉARA CHORCAÍ – LORD MAYOR OF CORK

Cork City Council is proud to support Cork International Film Festival, Ireland’s oldest and largest film festival. Rooted in Cork and open to the world, the Festival lights up our city each November, bringing the best of international cinema to our screens while championing local film talent. With more than 200 diverse stories to discover, the Festival invites residents and visitors to share the unique experience of cinema. It is an important part of Cork’s cultural life and a source of great pride for our city.

As Ireland holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the Festival celebrates the growing recognition of Irish film and its rightful place within the rich tradition of European cinema. At a time when the world can feel challenging and divided, cinema brings us together, opens new perspectives and reminds us of what we share. I hope you’ll join me for this year’s Festival and a journey of discovery, connection and great cinema.

CIAN BLACKWELL, CHAIR

On behalf of the Board, I’m delighted to welcome you to the 71st edition of Cork International Film Festival. For decades, the Festival has been sustained by creativity, civic support and loyal audiences. For many filmmakers, their journey begins here in Cork. Through changing times, the Festival has remained a cultural anchor: a place where stories spark conversation, broaden perspectives and bring us together through the shared experience of cinema. We have ambitious plans for the Festival’s future, including our vision for a permanent, year-round cultural cinema and education centre in Cork – a home for film, learning and creativity for generations to come. I sincerely thank our funders, partners, supporters, volunteers, filmmakers, dedicated Festival team and loyal audiences. Your commitment and trust make the Festival possible and give us the confidence to shape the future. As Steven Spielberg says, “Movies build community”. And Cork proves it.

INTRODUCTION

DISCOVER FILM, REIMAGINE THE WORLD

FIONA CLARK 

Last year, our 70th edition celebrated Cork’s extraordinary film heritage and the remarkable role this city and Festival have played in shaping Irish cinema. In 2026, that spirit of discovery and innovation continues, with a programme that looks firmly to the future with more than 200 stories from Ireland and around the world.

We are delighted to open and close the Festival in two new venues devoted to learning, creativity and discovery. Our new Short Film Hub at the Granary Theatre, in partnership with University College Cork, puts emerging filmmakers centre stage over opening weekend. Our closing weekend at the MTU Cork School of Music, in partnership with MTU, celebrates new Irish and international feature films, with music at its heart.

We also open at the Curtis with Lucy Lost, a beautiful, evocative and joyous film showcasing animation at its most inventive, with a captivating original score – and a musical surprise on the night.Our Patron, the inimitable David Puttnam, has generously lent his name to the new Puttnam Honorary Award, presented this year to one of Ireland’s most exciting rising stars, and a proud son of Cork, Éanna Hardwicke.

Our Cinema of Foresight retrospective and expanded programme of talks, The Bigger Picture, offer different ways into the Festival: through cinema, ideas, and conversation. Above all, there is the boundless pleasure of discovery: meeting the filmmakers, finding a film that stays with you, hearing a new voice, or sharing a unique experience with an audience. We invite you to explore, take a chance on something unfamiliar, and make Cork your cinematic home in November.

Fiona Clark
Festival Director & CEO

AURELIE GODET

Has anyone ever told you “you’ve seen too many movies”? They are normally implying your imagination has gone wild, that what you’re describing is the stuff of fiction. However you could remind those who insist you come back down to Earth that reality catches up sooner or later, as spaceships, rogue AI agents and augmented goggles make their ever accelerating entrance.

Our Cinema of Foresight retrospective acknowledges some of the filmmakers who, by looking intelligently at the past and present, recognised forces that were already shaping
the future, making works of “fiction” look uncannily rooted to the reality we now inhabit.

Our world truly has it all: from men who use their power to subjugate minorities, to brave idealists who take immense risks to defend what’s right. And cinema is the great witness of that diversity. We will also relish the human mind’s ability to see and create beauty, to be genuinely curious about others and to show our children the benefits of being persistent and generous.

We will welcome dogs back to the cinema and celebrate the enduring magic and variety of animation with an Animation Gala and multiple examples of the form’s glory.

Together we will learn, grow, cry and laugh.

Aurélie Godet
Director of Programming